


Perhaps : The Chance Meeting Between Redheads

by WickedMusic96



Category: Ghostbusters (Movies 1984-1989)
Genre: And how Peck and Janine talked to the other before Peter came by, F/M, Gen, Sorta shippy, This is to explain why Peck was in Peter's office, Which means he waited a LOONG ASS TIME PROBABLY, when Winston was interviewed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-02
Updated: 2018-09-02
Packaged: 2019-07-06 02:12:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,270
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15876348
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WickedMusic96/pseuds/WickedMusic96
Summary: Just how did that first meeting between Janine and Walter Peck go?





	Perhaps : The Chance Meeting Between Redheads

**Author's Note:**

  * For [morganskye](https://archiveofourown.org/users/morganskye/gifts).



> Not gonna lie, this is all based on the fact that the scene of Winston being hired and Peck meeting Peter being likely shot on the same day, as you can briefly see Walters head in the shot in Peters office, before it cuts to Peter near the fountain with Dana.
> 
> It just makes me laugh at how long that man must have waited for Peter to come by. Walter has the patience of a saint, it seems.

Truth be told, Walter Peck had only half an idea of why he was walking towards the old firehouse. Sure, he'd seen the news, the papers, even the tabloid magazines when finishing shopping, but he had only given them cursory glance at best. But the way these papers touted their skills at hunting - and somehow capturing - ghosts and spirits, something Walter had known to be nothing more than fantasy and fairy tale.

Still, the sheer number of people who claimed to be seeing ghosts and goblins, and then calling the same 3 men to help deal with it, even describing how they dealt with it, was enough to bring Walter Peck's attention to something that could be far more dangerous. 

 _Ghosts don't exist_ he thought to himself as he made it closer down the side walk, briefcase in hand.  _There's no way they can exist. There has to be some sort of foul play._

As he made it to the wide doors of the building, Peck made sure to at least knock to make sure someone was in. If not, he could probably check to see if they were unlocked, and make his investigation known. After all, he had the paperwork in his briefcase to attach to the door should no one be there, showing that he was only coming to check the facilities, and had plenty of help with the EPA to back him up should they fight his authority. Fortunately for him, there was someone inside the building, as he could hear a muffled swear, followed by the quick clicking of heels on the concrete floor. The door swung open, and Peck found himself staring at a petite woman, who took one look at him and furrowed her brow, looking up at him from her red spectacles.

"You a cop or a lawyer?" 

Her accent was the first thing that stuck out to Peck, and he had to blink a moment to realize that such a harsh tone was coming out of this small woman. Moreover, the fact that she seemed so brazenly annoyed by the fact that someone had decided to stop by unannounced, much less someone who happened to look like they were in a higher standard of work. 

"Neither, Miss. My name is Walter Peck. I represent the Environmental Protection Agency. Third District of New York." He handed her a business card, half expecting her to take it to see that he was legit, but retracted it back to his lapel when he could see that she didn't seem to care. "Is it alright if I step in? Is your boss in? I assume he's one of the Ghostcatchers-"

"Ghostbusters." She corrected dryly, but nodded and stepped out of the way, moving back to the desk on the end of the long hall. "And Dr. Venkman isn't in at the moment, you missed him by about an hour." She sat down at her desk, and started to idly check the phone's voicemail and messages, before glancing back at Walter. "...You gonna sit, or just stand in the doorway, Mr. Peck?"

He made a slightly distasteful face at the attitude she continued to give, but nevertheless nodded and walked into the hall, taking in the atmosphere. They had managed to clean the old firehouse up a bit, but it still had some wall cracks and peeling paint. "So, how long would you say you've been working h-"

"Around 2 months." she finished, sighing. "And before you ask, I am the only one who is working the front desk, taking the calls, and filing the work and sorting it out."

Peck couldn't believe what he was hearing. Not only had these charlatans somehow convinced this poor woman that ghosts existed, and they were making a profit off of people for this, but they had left her with all the cleanup. He couldn't help but feel some sympathy for the woman; he remembered when he was first starting out at the EPA, forced to do the grunt work and left with all the problems. "That's horrible. Will they be getting you more help soon?"

At this suggestion, the woman features softened up, as if Peck had just offered her a month long trip to the coast. "...You know...they never mention it. Should I mention that?"

By this point, Peck forgot all about why he had come in to interview her boss, instead focusing on making sure this young woman didn't die at the young age of 35. "Yes. You should. Once he comes back in, I want to hear you tell him that. He has no right to be making you work overtime, and not have at least someone help you with the work. That's unethical."

The woman smiled faintly at Peck's response, nodding her head a little, and looked at the pile of paperwork and folders with a sigh. "I'm only half way through this. It would be easier if I had someone else with me to file, but given that a lot of the cases we get are the same, I can just fill in the same information for each one. Most of it is simple apparitions possessing a cabinet or an old wedding dress sprung back to life with the old inhabitant still in it."

Walter pursed his lips into a thin line, but politely nodded. After a bit of silence, he looked up at the woman again, this time taking notice of the name plate on her desk. "Miss...Melnitz, is it? Or do you prefer Janine?" 

"Miss Melnitz is fine, Mr. Peck." her soft smile stayed a little, and Peck smiled back charmingly, straightening himself in the chair near her desk. If no one had known any better, it looked like they were mutually flirting. He leaned forwards a bit, folding his hands on the edge of the wooden desk, keeping his eyes locked on hers.

"..If you don't mind me asking...you don't actually... _believe_ in this stuff do you?" 

"...Stuff?"

"You know, ghosts, goblins, fairies, all that?" He moved his hand a little as he kept that smile on his face. "Someone of your skills has to know that these men are pure phonies, and that what they're doing is just smoke and mirrors right?"

It was then that her smile faded completely, replaced with the annoyed look Peck was greeted with when he walked into the building, and Peck's faltered a little, one eyebrow cocked in confusion. 

"...I think you'd better wait in his office, Mr. Peck. I'm sure Dr. Venkman will have a much better time explaining the good work that they do more than I can." Janine's voice was cold, and right as Peck was about to protest, the door opened, and a different man walked in. Not recognizing the man from any of the papers or tabloids, he straightened his tie, nodding at him and Janine before he turned on his heel, and stalked into the adjacent office. Seeing the name 'Peter Venkman' on the placard, Walter sat down on the side bench, going through his files and papers regarding the issues while he waited for the other man to return to his offie to talk. 

 

 _Perhaps..._ He thought as he scanned through his notes, taking brief moments to look at the various newspaper clippings and PHD's - which Walter theorized had to be counterfeit -  _Perhaps if I could get this Mr. Venkman to confide to me that they really are frauds...I can get her to see the light...And when I get these bozos shut down...perhaps I could offer her a job with me._


End file.
